Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Athena Stavrou & Ryan Merrifield

Mum left baby to die at home then sold dead child’s clothes on Facebook

A mother who left her baby to die at home when she went for a car wash later sold her dead child’s clothes on Facebook, it has emerged.

Stacey Davis, 35, left one-year-old Ethan Davis in his cot for two hours in 27C with a fractured skull - and went shopping.

Last week she was jailed at Salisbury Crown Court having previously admitted a charge of child cruelty.

It has now emerged that following Ethan’s death in 2018 the shamed mother listed his possessions and clothes for sale on Facebook.

She sold a ‘Little Man’s Savings’ money box for just £5 – something most bereaved parents would treasure.

Davis also flogged a bundle of baby clothes aged 3-6 months, tiny baby clothing and two all-in-one sleep suits – including one that was Ted Baker-branded.

Baby Ethan Davis was left at home alone in 27C heat (Family photo / SWNS)
Davis was jailed earlier this month (Wiltshire Police / SWNS)

The baby died in June 2018. She listed the items for sale around November 29, 2019.

Salisbury Crown Court heard how Davis, of Melksham Wilts., left her baby abandoned at home alone - trapped in a warm room with no windows open.

Davis - who regularly smoked cannabis around her son - returned to the property and then began texting a friend.

She failed to check on him for at least another 30 minutes, before discovering him lifeless in his cot and rushing him to hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Davis had struggled to bond with her son and smoked cannabis around him (Daniel Webb / SWNS)

A post-mortem examination found a significant head injury - a 15cm skull fracture - but Ethan's cause of death remains unascertained.

Under questioning, Davis told police that her son had fallen out of a door and hit his head - and despite the swelling, bruising and obvious distress, she failed to take him to hospital.

Prosecutor Simon Jones said: "Any reasonable parent would have noticed the distress and sought medical attention."

Forensic investigator Nicola Anderson also detected that there were high levels of cannabis in Ethan's hair.

The mum failed to seek medical attention for her baby despite a major skull fracture (Daniel Webb / SWNS)

Defence barrister Mark Ashley said his client's case was a "classic example of post-natal depression".

Ethan was born prematurely via C-section and required colon surgery immediately, resulting in a two-month stay in hospital.

He said Davis had relationship problems and financial issues and was struggling to bond with Ethan.

She was visiting him in the hospital infrequently, blaming the inability to obtain lifts from family.

The house where Davis lived with her baby Ethan (Daniel Jae Webb / SWNS)

"Not only suffering from that, she was coping with it in the wrong way – she was smoking cannabis", Mr Ashley added.

Judge Parkes KC interjected, stating: "It was incredibly stupid, go outside and do it."

Describing Davis' behaviour as "thoroughly selfish", the judge imposed a two-year immediate prison sentence, for which she will serve half in custody.

He said: "There is no evidence you or his father caused Ethan's death, no suggestion you did so.

''The sad fact is that you fell very seriously short of the duty owed to Ethan as his mother."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.